Thomas Mor Headed For Reynoldstown En Route To Festival Bid

Thomas Mor might show he is the forgotten horse in the amateur chasing division when he heads to Ascot for the Injured Jockeys Fund Ambassadors Programme Reynoldstown Novices' Chase on Saturday.


Philip Hobbs and course winner was second to Kitzbuhel in the Kauto Star Novices' Chase on Boxing Day and having actually seen Kempton third, Wendigo, and 4th, Salver, frank the form because, connections are buoyant ahead of this Grade Two occasion which could serve as a springboard to the Cheltenham Festival.


White said: "The type has been enhanced because Christmas, I was very shocked when taking a look at the Brown Advisory betting to see he is 100-1 and some of the horses that have been behind him and not too far in front are single figures.


"He's in great type and schooled well on Tuesday morning and returns to Ascot which is a course he won well at on his penultimate start. Conditions need to fit and he's 10lb higher than anything else on scores so we have to be enthusiastic.


"We'll get Saturday out the way initially before we think of Cheltenham but at the moment we are believing of the Grade One.


"This has actually always been the race we had in mind for him after Kempton and we're really much looking forward to the track we are taking."


Thomas Mor has wise course kind (Andrew Matthews/PA)


Hobbs and White might also be represented at Ascot by the well-regarded Starzand in the opening Betfair Novices' Hurdle, a race the steady won with Sporting John back in 2020.


Meanwhile, French Ship, another of the Minehead operation's leading lights, is likely to check the waters in graded company at Haydock when heading to the north west for the ZYN Rendlesham Hurdle.


"He'll most likely go to Haydock rather than the Pertemps qualifier at Wincanton," continued White.


"It will be competitive however he's in excellent form and he's run well at Haydock in the past, so there's no factor not to be believing that way.


"He's in terrific kind and schooled over a number of hurdles on Tuesday early morning. We could not be happier with him and excited to see how he gets on."